Roulette and Keno are both popular games at the casino, but for very different reasons. Both rely on the random chance of number selection. However, roulette is a table game that allows players to strategize using probability, bet combinations and potential payouts, whereas, Keno is more of a lottery game. Which is better in terms of house edge, potential winnings and variety of gameplay? Have a look at our in-depth comparison to find out.

The Basics of Keno

This is a lottery style game where players purchase tickets with the numbers they hope will be drawn each round. There are 80 possible numbers, but only 20 will be picked. Players may choose from 10 - 20 numbers or combinations of numbers. Much of this depends on which casino you are playing at or what variation you are playing. Payouts are based on how many of your numbers hit. The more numbers that match up, the higher the cash prize!

Often, online versions offer extra features and higher payouts than live versions. An automated game may include special bonuses that increase your winnings. As most keno games have low starting bets of C$1, doubling the wager for a bonus of up to 10x your winnings is hard to resist.

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Some casinos even have enticing progressive jackpot keno allowing players to win much more. As with a lottery ticket, hundreds of thousands of Canadian dollars can be won.

An Odds Comparison

Keno requires much more luck, as it has much worse odds than roulette. Of course, all casino games are games of chance, but roulette has a house edge ranging from 1.35% to 5.26%. Keno has a house edge of up to 50% depending on the amount of number selections you make and potential combos you choose. Clearly, players have a better chance of minimizing losses or even making a profit when playing roulette.

Explore the Keno and Roulette Variations

Online roulette has several variations including American, European, French, Spingo, multi-wheel, multi-ball, live and even no-zero roulette. This gives players a multitude of choices with varying house edges, bet options and potential payouts.

Keno has 3 main variations including progressive jackpot, multi-card and single card. Then, there are ticket variations such as straight, way combination and king tickets. Straight tickets are played on one card and offer the most basic rules. The rest offer options for betting on number combinations for higher wagers and payouts.

What Are My Potential Winnings?

Depending on where you play, Keno bets can be made, lost or won in seconds or minutes. Usually, live versions played in keno lounges at casinos take 3 to 5 minutes per round, whereas, live roulette only takes 1 to 2 minutes per spin.

Online keno goes at a much faster pace allowing you to select your bets and press a button for instant results. Even when playing with the same bet each round online, roulette takes at least 30 seconds to a minute per spin. Unless, of course it has a fast mode which eliminates all animations. Then, each spin only takes seconds making both keno and roulette very similar in game speed with the potential to win or lose a lot in a small amount of time.

Something else to consider is that while keno wagers are less likely to win, the potential payouts per bet can be significantly more than roulette's 35/1. Of course, payouts vary a bit depending on where you play, but for the sake of demonstrating a point, here's an example of how this generally works.

How Does Keno Roulette Work

As you can see, you must get more hits to reach a higher level of payouts in keno, however, the likelihood of that happening drops significantly. When played online, it can be more of a high risk, high reward game despite only requiring a dollar wager at a time, because it is possible to bet a dollar every few seconds. Roulette relies on fixed odds that make it more of a low risk, low reward game by comparison when using a low risk betting strategy. So, while the payouts are potentially much less than keno, you actually have better odds to walk away with a profit after a roulette session.

Below illustrates the differences in potential payouts between the two games. Note that the highest payout per bet is based on a progressive jackpot keno offering a max prize of C$250,000. No matter where you play, keno offers a higher payout potential than roulette.

Pick Your Winner

Many players would argue that winning often isn't necessarily the point of keno. The game is mostly enjoyed by players who are taking a break from table games and having a drink or those who want to try their luck at a high risk game but aren't in the mood for slots.

Roulette is a fairly involved game that requires players to place and withdraw bets, pay close attention to the wheel and think about how they will bet. In those ways, it doesn't necessarily serve the same purpose as keno. In fact, you're not even allowed to put drinks on the roulette table!

Despite the fact they both involve picking numbers to win real money prizes, comparing keno with roulette is like comparing apples and oranges. When making your choice on which to play, keep in mind that roulette has a much lower house edge than keno while still offering decent payouts. Although roulette may appear more complex than keno, it has several basic even-money bets that make it easy to jump into even for first-time players.

Take Both for a Test Run

Of course, you don't have to just choose one. You could certainly switch back and forth when you need a break from strategizing at the roulette table. There are free play options online if you want to try keno and roulette out to see which one suits you best! We always recommend trying a casino game before you buy!

Keno is a gambling game played using cards with numbers ranging from 1 to 80. The game is played like a lottery, with players choosing numbers to bet on before 20 numbers are randomly drawn using a ball machine or a random number generator. The players are paid based on how many numbers are drawn, how many numbers match the player’s picks, and how much money the player wagers. The game is popular in casinos, online, and is offered as a game in many lotteries. This guide will walk you through the basics of the game and the keno strategy to play keno online.

Keno History

Origin

The word “Keno” originated either from the French quine meaning “five winning numbers” or the Latin quini meaning “five each”. While the exact origin of the modern name is uncertain, it is well known that the game began in China over 2,000 years ago.

Legend says that the invention of the game saved an ancient city during a war by funding the war effort, and its increasing popularity helped pay for the construction of the Great Wall of China.

The original game was known as baige piao, which translates to “white pigeon ticket”, and is a reference to the carrier pigeons that delivered results of the games from gambling houses to outlying villages. Baige piao didn’t use numbers like today’s Keno, but instead used the first 80 characters from the Thousand Character Classic, a Chinese poem used to teach Chinese language characters to children. Baige piao is still popular in China today, and is the ancestor of Keno, bingo, and the lottery.

Development

During the 19^th century, Chinese immigrants brought baige piao to the West when they traveled across the Pacific Ocean to help build the First Transcontinental Railroad. The name was then westernized into “boc hop bu” and “puck-apu” and gained popularity into the 20^th century.

In the beginning of the 1900’s, the game adopted the name “Chinese lottery” and gained further traction across the United States. During this time it also acquired the name “Keno”. In 1933, Keno was brought to Reno, Nevada and featured in casinos as “Racehorse Keno”, using the names of horses instead of numbers due to the state’s laws concerning lotteries at the time. In 1951, Nevada laws changed to outlaw track betting. The game then featured numbers and the official name “Keno” – the game has only gained in popularity ever since, and people started to develop keno strategy.

Keno Terminology

Keno Roulette Payout

Ticket – the Keno betting cards that players use to pick numbers

Race – a Keno game

Spots – the numbers that a player picks

Catching a spot – when a number randomly drawn matches a player’s pick

Pay table – a casino’s set series of payouts; normally depends on how many numbers are drawn total, how many spots a player chose, and how much money was wagered

Example: If you choose eight spots on the ticket, depending on the pay table you might have to catch five spots before you win any money during a race.

How to Play Keno

Choose spots

Out of the 80 numbers typically offered on a Keno ticket, players can usually choose from 1 to 10 spots, though many casinos offer players the opportunity to pick up to 12 or 15 spots per race. Payouts change depending on how many spots a player chooses, how many spots a player catches, and differ from casino to casino. When playing online, players can often see the payout change in real time depending on how many spots they choose.

Choose a wager

While many gamblers typically stick to a lower wager for a higher number of spots and races, others might up the bet and choose a fewer number of spots and races. The wager is per number of races – if a player wages $1, chooses 10 spots, but only one race, the player is wagering $1. Choose whatever works for you and stick with it as part of your keno strategy.

Keno Roulette Random

Choose a number of races

In online keno casino games, players have the option of using the same set of spots for multiple races. While many players may choose to keep their chosen spots for only one race, it is possible to use the same spots for 5 or even 10 races in a row. Online games often feature “play 5” and “play 10” buttons, and players can continue pressing these for unlimited games with the same spots.

Payouts

Payouts depend on a number of factors and differ greatly from casino to casino, whether they’re brick-and-mortar establishments or online. A casino’s pay table is calculated by the number of spots the player chooses and how many spots a player catches, which is multiplied by the ratio of the player’s original bet to the base rate of the pay table.

Sounds complicated, but all you need to know is that the payout ranges depending on how many spots you pick, how many you catch, and how much you wager. Generally, the more spots a player chooses and the more numbers he catches, the greater the payout. Though there are some pay tables that pay for hitting a lesser number of spots – some casinos offer $500 or $1,000 for a catch of 0 out of 20 spots with a $5 wager.

Keno Strategy

Odds

Keno isn’t known for having a low house advantage – in fact, it normally hovers around 20%. It’s helpful to study the odds of Keno in advance to know how likely it is to catch a certain number of spots in certain situations. If anything, studying the odds will help players understand why the pay tables operate the way they do.

Find a Good Game

To ensure you’re getting a good pay table, you might have to shop around for a while. For example, one online Keno game may offer a 12:1 payout on a $10 wager if you pick two spots and catch both of them, while another game may offer a 7:1 payout for the same situation. The second casino sounds worse, but this casino may also offer a smaller amount for catching only one of the two spots, while the other offers nothing. When you find an online casino that offers free play, jump on it – the free play will allow you to mess around with the pay table and see if it’s worth pursuing before playing keno online for real money.

Make sure you look around before settling on a particular casino and it could seriously help your bankroll.

Keno Roulette

Pick a Way to Play

If you want to win big amounts, the best way is to bet higher on fewer games. And, depending on the pay table, picking fewer numbers isn’t necessarily a bad idea. When you study the odds you see it – at a certain casino, catching 2 out of 2 spots has a payout of 12:1, and catching 8 of 15 spots has a payout of 25:1. However, getting 2 out of 2 spots has a chance of 1 in 16, whereas catching 8 out of 15 spots has a chance of 1 in 136. However, if players want a chance at winning the jackpot they must pick the maximum number of spots to qualify.

If you want to extend the length of the game, do the opposite keno strategy– bet smaller amounts of money on more games.

Remember It’s Random

The numbers that are picked during Keno are completely random. They either come out of a ball machine or they’re generated by a random number generator, meaning there’s no pattern or magic trick. Just because a number hasn’t shown up in five races doesn’t mean it’ll show up in the next one; just because a number has shown up for three races doesn’t mean it’s a lucky number. Chance is what makes Keno risky and exciting, so the best advice is to sit back, relax, and have fun. If you go into Keno thinking you’ll win big money every round, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Remember it’s random and you’ll actually enjoy yourself.

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